Assia HOUIAT

Dr. Assia HOUIAT


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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16 July 2026 in Pharmaceuticals
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Mounia OukhouiaMounia Oukhouia
Mounia Oukhouia
AHAssia HOUIAT
Assia HOUIAT
SOsamira oukhouia
samira oukhouia
CMChaymae Moubachir
Chaymae Moubachir
Mohd Yasir KhanMohd Yasir Khan
Mohd Yasir Khan
ARAdnane Remmal
Adnane Remmal
Background/Objectives: Antibiotic resistance in bacteria poses a major health problem worldwide. Therefore, to counteract this life-threatening problem, we sought to investigate in the present study the possible potentiation of the efficacy of amoxicillin (AMX) and clavulanic acid (CA) by 1,8-cineole (CN), a candidate resistance-modulating agent. The approach seeks to investigate, in vitro and in silico, the interactions among these three molecules. Methods: The antibacterial activity was determined against resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) using microdilution methods, synergy tests, and time-kill assays for AMX, CA, and CN, used either separately or in combinations: AMX–CA, AMX–CN, CA–CN, and AMX–CA–CN. Furthermore, an in silico drug design methodology was employed, utilizing an integrated workflow that combines Density Functional Theory (DFT) for ligand optimization with molecular docking simulations to evaluate binding energies and interactions between the penicillin-binding protein (PBP) and ligands. Results: In vitro synergy experiments and time-kill assays revealed substantial antibacterial efficacy of the AMX–CA–CN combination. In silico analyses, performed under the simplifying assumption of a pre-assembled multi-ligand entity, were consistent with these findings: within our docking model, the AMX–CA–CN combination exhibited the most favorable computed binding affinity to a representative penicillin-binding protein (PBP3, PDB 7ONW). Conclusions: 1,8-cineole can potentiate the antibacterial effects of AMX–CA, indicating that the AMX–CA–CN combination warrants further evaluation as a candidate adjunctive strategy against ESBL-producing E. coli.